U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell used the filibuster to defeat President Barack Obama’s Americans Jobs Act. The president decided to resubmit the proposal in sections. His second try was to put thousands of laid-off teachers, first-responders and firefighters back to work. This was also filibustered by McConnell and supported by his team of political misfits determined to keep the jobless rate at 9.1 percent. But the jobs they are blocking may be their own. Out-of-work Americans and those who fear for their jobs will eventually put an end to McConnell and his no-new-jobs policy.
Let's hear from U.S. Sen. Scott Brown on why he voted against bringing 23,000 jobs to Massachusetts, and then voted against putting thousands of laid-off teachers, policemen and firefighters back to work. When Brown ran to replace the late Ted Kennedy, he said he was running for the people's seat. It's time to put someone else in that chair who cares about jobless people in distress.
McConnell obviously fancies corporate people over real people. In a speech before the Senate, McConnell mocked the president's attempt to get his Jobs Act passed one section at a time. It was a reminder to the president that he and the filibuster reign supreme.
"Unemployment, is a problem for the states, not the federal government," said McConnell. So why is he blaming the president? States controlled by Republicans are laying off state and local workers at an alarming rate, along with stripping them of their union rights. What job gains made nationwide in the private sector are being offset mostly in red states. Is this what McConnell meant by "states’ rights"?
Make no mistake. The lack of jobs started with Republicans. McConnell was one of the driving forces behind the Bush/Cheney agenda that allowed corporations to ship 8 million manufacturing jobs overseas. It appears McConnell stood by in patriotic silence while the jobs left America on a one-way trip to China.
Sooner or later, McConnell will bring down the establishment Republicans in the Senate for doing nothing other than supporting his endless filibusters to obstruct the president's effort to get the economy moving. When voters have had enough, McConnell without a filibuster will be like a senator without clothes — barely heard from.
— Jean York is a Braintree resident.
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